Specific gravity separator



June 26, 1962 c. L. LINKINHOKER 3,040,892

SPECIFIC GRAVITY SEPARATOR Filed Aug. 17, 1959 :F Lg 1 INVENTOR.

Cl/ESTEI? l. (MK W17 BY W United States ice 3,040,892 SPECIFIC GRAVITYSEPARATOR Chester L. Linkinhoker, Springfield, Ohio, assignor to TheBauer Bros. Co., Springfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 17,1959, Ser. No. 834,329 9 Claims. (Cl. 209-467) This invention relates tograding and sorting apparatus and more particularly to a vibratorapparatus capable of automatically separating materials in aconglomerate body.

The present invention constitutes an advance and improvement overseparators such as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No.2,356,775 issued on August 29, 1944, to William H. Mechlin. Itsubstantially expands the fields of applicaion of such apparatus andrenders it more eflicient.

Prior separator apparatus has not been very successful in application tobulky materials of a fibrous character which have a tendency to entrapforeign particles in their tangled webs. For example, mineral wool ordry rag materials are quite bulky and frequently contain foreignmaterials such as small pieces of metal or rocklike substance entrappedtherein. The conventional separator has proven quite inadequate forseparating and sorting such materials.

The separator of the present invention will not only effectively operateon bulky fibrous bodies which inherently have foreign particlesentrapped therein but also will be more efficient in grading and sortingthe components of other types of conglomerate or intermixed bodies.

The invention will be particularly described herein in application toseparating foreign particles from a body of fibrous material such asmineral wool. However, it should be understood that the invention issimilarly and effectively applicable to such activities as separatingcommerical peanuts from leaves, vines, stems, roots and stones, cleaningpeas and beans; separating grain from chaff and refuse; separatingcomrninuted and pulverized materials; sorting parts and the like.

A primary object of the invention is to provide improvements in gradingand sorting apparatus of a vibratory character whereby such apparatusmay not only be economically fabricated but more efiicient andsatisfactory in use, more versatile in application, automatic inoperation, of minimum complexity and unlikely to malfunction.

A further object of the invention is to provide grading and sortingapparatus capable of extracting foreign particles from a condition wherethey are entrapped in a conglomerate body.

Another object of the invention is to provide separator apparatus of avibratory character having improved means for separating components of aconglomerate or intermixed body of materials in accordance with theirspecific gravity.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improvedseparator of a vibratory character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a separator of a vibratorycharacter having improved means for tearing conglomerate or intermixedbodies of materials apart to remove undesirable fractions thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a separator apparatuspossessing the advantageous structural features, the inherentmeritorious characteristics and the mode of operation herein mentioned.

With the above and other incidental objects in view as will more fullyappear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected byLetters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts andcombinations thereof, and the mode of operation as hereinafter describedor illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or their equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein is shown one but obviouslynot necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a elevation view of separating and sorting apparatus inaccordance with the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the ribbed operating disc employed in theapparatus of FIG. 1.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe several views.

The separator shown includes a base 1 having spaced vertical standards 2about its periphery supporting a conical hood 3. The hood 3 has adependent flange 4 confined by and spaced inwardly of the upperextremities of standards 2. A hood band 5 is fixed about the outerperipheral surface of a flange d to confine the upper extremity of aband of webbing 6. The webbing 6 depends from hood 3 within thestandards 2 to define the opening from its lowermost extremity.

A vibrator plate assembly '7 is fixed centrally of the base 1. Itincludes a plate 8 fixed to the base. A dish shaped foot plate 9 isresiliently supported in vertically spaced relation to the base plate 8by resilient step blocks or springs 10 to permit a rocking motion of theplate 9 relative the base 1. The sides of the plate 9 are directedupward in divergent fashion. Leg elements 11 are fixed to the outer sidesurfaces of plate 9 at their lower ends, spaced substantiallyequidistantly thereabout. The legs 11 uniformly diverge from their lowerextremities. Fixed about and in containing relation to the upperextremities of legs 11 is a bracket 12 including a lower conicallyexpanded portion 13 fixed to the legs and a vertically projected skirt14 of uniform dimension upwardly of the legs.

The skirt 14 immediately contains and is fixed to the peripheral wall 15of a riddle 16 which includes a perforate table 17 bridging the spaceconfined by the upper extremities of legs 11. The vertical wall of theriddle projects upwardly of skirt 14 of the bracket supporting theriddle. The depending extremity of the webbing 6 is fixed to the outerperipheral surface of the upper projected portion of wall 15 to providea flexible connection therebetween.

The hood 3 is thus disposed in overlying relation to and incommunication with the table 17. A supply conduit 18 defining an openingto the hood 3 is angled inwardly to the center of the hood and thendiverted to depend axially thereof and open over and in verticallyspaced relation to the table 17. The table 17 has a cen tral opening 19aligned with the opening from conduit outlet. A downwardly convergentdischarge cone 26 is fixed by an external flange 21 to depend from theundersurface of table 17 about the opening 19. A trash pan 22 isarranged below and in parallel spaced relation to the table 17. The pan22 peripherally connects to the legs 11. The cone 20 depends through acentral aperture in pan 22 and is immediately confined thereby.

An upwardly dished plate 23 arranged vertically below and generallyparallel to pan 2.2 is peripherally connected to the divergent legs 11.The plate 23 has a vertical support bracket 24 projected upwardly to pan22 to which is fixed a discharge spout 25. The spout 25 is open at itstop to receive the discharge from cone 20.

A bearing assembly 26 is fixed on the center of the foot plate 9. Thelower end of a vertical shaft 27 is mounted in the bearing assembly 26to project upwardly through apertures in plate 23, pan 22, through cone2d and table 17 to have its upper end terminate below and centrally ofthe outlet from the conduit 18.

A sheave 28 is fixed about the shaft 27 adjacent its lower end. Sheave28 is driven from a motor 29 through a belt 30. The motor 29 is mountedto a vertical base plate 31 fixed to the base 1. The motor has avertically arranged drive shaft 32 mounting a sheave 33 through which itdrives the belt 39.

The aperture in plate 23 through which shaft 27 extends is enlarged toaccommodate a bearing housing The housing 34 confines a sleeve bearing35 which extends axially therethrough and immediately about the shaft27. The housing 34 depends below the plate 23 and has an external flange36 in abutting relation to its undersurface. An annular bearing supportplate 37 seats to the upper surface of plate 23 to confine the sleevebearing 35 to its upper end. Bolts 33 connect the flange 36 to the plate37 through plate 23 and thereby fix the position of the bearing housing.

Fixed to and about shaft 27 immediately above plate 23 and bearing 35 isa collar 39 which has a connected radially projected arm 40. Aneccentric weight 41 is fixed to the extremity of the arm 40 for purposesto be described.

Keyed to the upper end of the shaft 27 spaced above the table 17 is adistributor disc 42 consisting of a base plate 43 and spaced ribs 44arranged radially of and projected vertically from the upper surface ofplate 43.

A pipe 45 defines an opening in the upper end of hood Stoform a verticalprojection thereof.

It should be noted here that the table 17 is not perforated to provide asieve but to permit air to be drawn therethrough by suitable suctionmeans (not shown) connected to pipe 45 for purposes to be described.

Anembodiment of the invention is thus provided which includes a table 17adapted to receive conglomerate or intermixed bodies of materialsthrough the supply conduit 18. Due to the eccentric weight connected toshaft 27 through the medium of the arm 4ft, drive of the shaft 27 willcause a progressive circular wobble or rocking movement of table 17about a distant point adjacent the base 1. This is, of course, due tothe nature of the resilient mount of the foot plate 9 relative the baseplate 8. Thus, the legs 11, riddle 16 and other interconnected structurewill have a uniform wobble corresponding to the nature and position ofthe eccentric weight 41 on the driven shaft 27. The distributor disc 42will be rotating with the shaft 27 in the path of any materialintroduced to the riddle from the supply conduit 18.

Let us suppose that fine fibrous mineral wool is introduced throughconduit 18 which has particles of metal, rock or the like entrappedtherein, the purpose being to separate and sort the entrapped materialsfrom the mineral wool. The separate components naturally have differentspecific gravity. As the mineral wool passes from the conduit 18 it willfall directly on the spinning, rocking distributor disc 42. It is notedthat suction is maintained in the riddle area at this time by suctionapplied to the hood 3 through pipe 45 which induces a current of air topass upward through the perforations in the table 17. As the-wool hitsthe distributor disc, its ribs 44 tear the wool apart separating thefibers and freeing the entrapped particles-of different substances. Therocking motion induced in the table 17is of a vibratory character and isof greater range and angularity to the plane of the table at itsperipheral margin. As the wool fibers and separated foreign particlesare thrown from the disc 42, the suction induced air current applies alift impulse to the relatively light wool fibers while the heavierforeign particles which have been extracted will fall to the surface ofthe table 17, thrown to its outer margin. The rocking tilting motion ofthe table applies successive tossing impulses to the heavier extractedforeign particles moving them inwardly of the margin of the table to beejected through the opening 19 under the disc 42 from where they arechanneled by cone 20 to discharge spout 25. The light wool fibers underthe influence of suction are little effected by the vibration inducedtable motion and are forcibly displaced outward to the periphery of theriddle by the ribbed distributor disc,

being discharged thereby through openings in the wall thereof which arenot shown. Suitable means are provided to aid in the efficient dischargeof the light material but no detail thereof is describedsince this doesnot constitute any portion of the present invention. Only sufficientstructure has been detailed herein as is pertinent to the invention.Other detail may be conventional and is revealed in illustrative fashionin the previously mentioned patent to Mechlin.

Thus, the invention provides a very effective initial separation of thecomponents embodied in the rock wool introduced to tear all foreignparticles from an entrapped condition whereby they may be separatelyexited from the separator based on their specific gravity. Theillustrative application is but indicative of a general improvement inversatility and efficiency over the art as provided by the invention,irrespective of the make up of the conglomerate or intermixed bodies ofmaterials which are introduced to the invention apparatus. It is alsoobserved that a significant advantage of this invention is that themotor 29 is disposed in a position relatively isolated from thevibratory influence of the sorting and separating apparatus which itdrives. Removal of the motor from the vibratory structure which itinfluences has p-roven not only to improve motor efficiency but also toincrease its operating life and that of the associated vibratorystructure per se, as well as rendering the latter more efficient.Maintenance requirements are minimized in the process.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thusprovided a device of the character described possessing the particularfeatures of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but whichobviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions,detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from theprinciple involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has beendescribed in language more or less specific as to structural features,it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificfeatures shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosedcomprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect,and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms ormodifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Separator apparatus including feed means, intercepting means in thepath of said feed means rotatable to intercept and physicallydisassociate the components of intermixed and conglomerate bodies ofmaterials delivered through said feed means, drive means for saidintercepting means, and means connected with said drive means inducing awobble motion of said intercepting means on rotation to cause it to havea tearing function as applied to fibrous type bodies.

2. Separator apparatus including feed means, intercepting means in thepath of said feed means having projections in the direction of said feedmeans operative to intercept bodies of materials delivered from saidfeed means, means supporting said intercepting means for rotary andtilting motions, and means to spin and simultaneously induce a wobble ofsaid intercepting means where: by the projections thereof will functionto physically disassociate foreign bodies from materials delivered fromsaid feed means.

3. Separator apparatus including gravity feed means, a ribbed separatorplate in the path of discharge from said feed means, a sorting table inunderlying spaced relation to said separator plate independentof saidtable, means for spinning said plate to cause it to disassociate andcentrifugally dispense intermixed materials delivered from said gravityfeed means to the marginal areas of said table, and means connected tosaid plate spinning means for vibrating said table in conjunction withthe spinning of said plate to discharge disassociated materials inaccordance with their specific gravity.

4. Separator apparatus including a vibratory platform having meansconnected therewith for inducing a wobbling thereof about a distantpoint, means for introducing conglomerate or intermixed bodies ofmaterials to said platform, means independent of said platform forintercepting the bodies of materials as they are introduced to saidplatform including relatively projected portions extending in thedirection from which the materials are introduced and means for inducingan eccentric spin of the intercepting means including said wobblingmeans.

5. Separator and sorting apparatus including a base, a frame mounted forrocking motion on said base, a table on said frame, shaft meansindependent of said base hearing in said frame and having an eccentricmass connected thereto, means independent of said frame connected tosaid shaft means for drive thereof, said eccentric mass inducing awobble of the shaft means on drive thereof and a gyratory movement ofsaid table, said drive means being mounted to said base free of thevibratory reaction induced by drive of said shaft means.

6. Separator apparatus comprising a base, a frame mounted for rockingmovement on said base, shaft means in said frame and independent of saidbase having an eccentric weight connected thereto, a sorting table onsaid frame having a central aperture, said shaft means projectingthrough the aperture in said table, drive means on said base independentof said frame operative to drive, said shaft means inducing an eccentricspinning thereof and a consequent vibratory action on said table and adistributor disc fixed to said shaft means to overlie the aperture insaid table in spaced relation thereto and operative to eccentricallyspin with said shaft means, said disc including means operative in thespinning thereof to effect a tearing separating action on materialdelivered to said table.

7. Separator and sorting apparatus including a base, a frame resilientlymounted for rocking movement thereon, a perforated table fixed to saidframe having a central;- aperture, a shaft bearing in said frameprojected through the central aperture in said table and having avibration inducing relation to said frame, gravity feed means over saidtable, drive means for said shaft on said base, said 6 drive means beingindependent of said frame, and means on said shaft above said tablerotatable with said shaft, and having rib elements projected from oneface in the direction of said feed means to intercept materialsdelivered to said table from said feed means and physically.disassociate the components thereof.

8. Separator apparatus including, a base, a table having support meansmounting it for rocking movement on said base, means for introducingconglomerate or intermixed bodies of materials to said table,intercepting means in overlying spaced relation to said table havingmeans connected for eccentric drive thereof providing a tearing apartand centrifugal projection of components of the bodies of materialsintroduced to the marginal areas of said table.

9. Separator and sorting apparatus, including a base, a frame mountedfor rocking motion on said base, a sorting table on said frame, shaftmeans bearing in said frame independent of said base, separating meansconnected for movement with said shaft means and associated with saidsorting table, an eccentric mass connected with said shaft means formovement therewith, means independent of said frame connected to saidshaft means for drive thereof, motor means mounted independent of saidframe operatively connected to said drive means to produce a spinning ofsaid shaft means and the separating means thereon associated With saidtable, said eccentric mass inducing a wobble of said shaft andseparating means and a simultaneous rocking movement of said table inthe process and said motor means being thereby free of the vibratoryreaction induced by drive of said shaft means.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS951,964 McKinley Mar. 15, 1910 1,033,426 Lokken July 23, 1912 2,356,775Mechlin Aug. 29, 1944 2,637,075 Rudy et a1. May 5, 1953 2,822,090Johnston Feb. 4, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 184,870 Great Britain Aug. 21,1922

